On this week's episode of IGN's PlayStation show, Podcast Beyond!, host Jonathon Dornbush is joined by Brian Altano and Max Scoville to discuss all the latest PlayStation news.  The crew jumps into PlayStation's surprising, big store reversal and the decision to keep the PS3 and PS Vita PlayStation Stores alive for now. We discuss the implications of the decision, why we're still apprehensive, and what we hope to see from Sony later on. Then, Jonathon offers his preview impressions of Returnal after going hands-on with the PS5 exclusive. He breaks down some of the gameplay, the atmosphere, and how it uses the DualSense and 3D audio so well.  The cast also touches on ProbablyMonsters' Firewalk Studios and their new partnership with PlayStation to publish an exclusive multiplayer game, what else we've been playing, and much more.

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PlayStations Big Store Reversal, Returnal PS5 Impressions - Beyond Episode 697

Beyond is IGN’s flagship PlayStation show, the place where we break down all the latest Sony news and announcements, share our impressions on what we’re playing - new and old - but most importantly, celebrate the fun and camaraderie of gaming.

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This week, Tales of Kenzera: ZAU creative director, Surgent Studios founder and former assassin Abubakar Salim joins us to discuss his upcoming Metroidvania, and the journey from starring in a video game to developing one. Meanwhile, more PS5 Pro details leak, including its cool codename, “Project Trinity,” continuing the Matrix-esque naming convention started with PSVR’s “Project Morpheus.” Video game monsters are rarely rooted in practical effects, but Stellar Blade’s Naytibas began as clay sculptures from Hee-Cheol Jang, whose previous work includes Bong Joon Ho’s creature features The Host and Okja. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth sales aren’t anywhere near its predecessor’s, which isn’t that surprising when you dig into the different circumstances they released under. If demo downloads are any indication of sales, Stellar Blade should do well, Ratchet & Clank’s Bouncer weapon has been added to the 2016 game in honor of its 8th anniversary. Finally, some cool games are hitting PS+ this month, including Dave The Diver, Animal Well, Nour and Misma Chronicles. Podcast Beyond is Max Scoville, Brian Altano, Jada Griffin and this week features special guests Abubakar Salim and Max’s disruptive epoxy-stealing toddler.

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PS5 Pro: Down The Rabbit Hole With “Project Trinity” Details - Beyond 844

We just got a brand new trailer for Star Wars Outlaws, Ubisoft’s open-world action adventure set in the beloved galaxy far, far away. Specifically, it’s set in the grimy criminal underworld between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, hitting some similar beats to 1996’s beloved (but no longer canon) Shadows of The Empire. As much as we’d love revolutionary leaps and bounds in game design, we’re totally fine if this is one of Ubisoft’s patented “climb the tower, clear the outpost” Assassin’s Creed Far Cry Watch Dogs-likes, since the subject matter does a lot of heavy lifting. In other news, Bloodborne Kart is now Nightmare Kart and it’s out at the end of next month (but only on PC) and the most-played PlayStation games of 2023 were mostly from a few years earlier, people just kept playing them. Helldivers 2 gets yet another war bond this week, Democratic Detonation, just in time for those no-good Automatons striking back with a vengeance. This week, Beyond is Max Scoville, Jada Griffin, Brian Altano and Matt Kim. We had fun, we hope you did too.

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Star Wars Outlaws Looks Like a Wretched Hive of Fun and Villainy - Beyond 843

We would love Sony to make a successor to the PlayStation Portable and PS Vita, but does it make sense? On the one hand, portable consoles are all the rage, between Nintendo Switch’s record-breaking success and a Switch 2 (or whatever it’s called) waiting in the wings, Valve’s surprise entry into the gaming hardware race with the Steam Deck and now, Xbox head Phil Spencer talking about how he’d love a dedicated way to take Xbox on the go. So, there’s demand for new dedicated portable PlayStation device, but there’s also a lot of competition. Does it make sense for Sony to hop on the bandwagon, or rest on the PS5’s laurels and stick to home consoles, plus the occasional weirdo accessory. The PlayStation Portal was sort of portable, and it was technically a PSP, was Sony testing the waters? Hmm. In other news, a new feature in the PS App is being beta-tested that would let you take in-game lore on the go, letting you access stuff like journal entries, character databases, and that sort of thing through your phone or mobile device. Not something we were demanding, but cool nonetheless, and definitely a fun way to supplement games we’re playing when we’re not actually playing them. Helldivers 2 got a patch that adds blizzards, sandstorms, and makes fire hurt more. Stellar Blade’s demo just dropped, and it’s undeniably a good-looking game, but the discourse around its protagonist’s appearance makes it hard to be remotely critical of any other aspects like the story, creature design, mechanics or combat. Still, that won’t stop us from stumbling across this week’s most explosive minefield. In other news, Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League’s first DLC is here, and Jada and Akeem have strong feelings, good and bad, about how it handles DC’s clown prince of crime: Captain Boomerang. Just kidding, it’s about… The Joker. Ha Ha Ha Why So Serious? Hey if you read all this, thanks for sticking around. How do you feel about little neckties?

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Now’s The Best Time For a Next-Gen PlayStation Handheld (Or Maybe The Worst) - Beyond 842

This week, we’re eatin’ good! Two massive sprawling open-world action RPGs just dropped, Dragon’s Dogma II and Rise of the Ronin but… which one is worth your time? Join Brian Altano, Jada Griffin and Mitchell Saltzman as they compare and contrast Capcom and Koei Tecmo’s latest contributions to the run-around-and-fight-stuff genre. Ultimately, both games are packed with tons of great gameplay, mechanics, systems, features, moments, all that good stuff you’d expect from an open-world game, but they both offer dramatically different experiences, so it’s really just a matter of taste. Meanwhile, Jada checked out a bunch of cool games at the annual Game Developers Conference in San Francisco last week, including Tales of Kenzara: Zau, Hyper Light Breaker, Little Kitty Big City, Luna Abyss, The Sinking City 2, Dungeons of Hinterburg, Angerfoot, and South Park Snow Day, and she also got to try out some unconventional means of interacting with games at the ALT.CTRL.GDC exhibit, which showcases unusual game controllers.
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Rise of the Ronin VS Dragons Dogma 2: Which is right for you? - Beyond 841

There’s plenty to talk about this week! The leaked PlayStation 5 Pro specs have Max and Brian speculating about who exactly needs a mid-century modern mid-generation refresh, aside from people who want the best possible console experience for Grand Theft Auto 6. Mostly, though, the thing we’re most excited to talk about is Dragon’s Dogma 2. Reviews are out, and the consensus is this new chapter improves upon what made the first game great, but what does that mean for people who didn’t play the original when it came out in 2012? Capcom’s long-awaited sequel to the cult-classic action RPG might have a lot in common with FromSoftware’s Dark Souls and Elden Ring games, but the moment-to-moment gameplay is extremely different, largely in part to more more of an emphasis on unpredictable emergent moments, chaotic battles, and wacky antics thanks to the unique pawn system. Meanwhile, Brian played through Alone In The Dark, the reimagining of the survival-horror classic, and while it falls short of the experience provided by Capcom’s excellent Resident Evil remakes, it’s still a good time for anyone who prefers puzzle solving in a spooky house to just shooting monsters in the head.
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PlayStations Big Store Reversal, Returnal PS5 Impressions - Beyond Episode 697

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